PTSD Archives - Brain ASAP

Childhood Psychological Abuse Predicted Lower Adult Relationship Satisfaction Through Reduced Belongingness

May 15, 2026May 10, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 longitudinal study in Personality and Individual Differences followed 346 Turkish young adults across two survey waves three months apart and found that childhood psychological abuse predicted lower adult relationship satisfaction, with a reduced sense of belonging acting as the statistical mediator linking the early adversity to the later romantic outcome. Key Findings …

Medical Cannabis for Anxiety, PTSD, and Sleep: Cannabinoid Evidence Remains Weak

May 15, 2026May 6, 2026 by BrainASAP

Cannabinoids Had Weak Evidence for Mental Disorders TL;DR: A Lancet Psychiatry review of randomized trials found little support for routine cannabinoid treatment in common mental disorders, despite possible weak signals in a few narrower conditions. Key Findings 54 randomized controlled trials were reviewed: The analysis covered 2,477 participants across mental disorders and substance-use disorders. Routine …

Amygdala Astrocytes Helped Store and Extinguish Fear Memories

May 15, 2026May 5, 2026 by BrainASAP

How Astrocytes Help the Amygdala Store Fear Memories TL;DR: Amygdala astrocytes were not passive support cells: their calcium signals tracked learned fear states and were required for neuronal fear-memory representations in mice. Key Findings In vivo BLA imaging across multiple mouse cohorts: The team combined astrocyte and neuronal calcium imaging, electrophysiology, and circuit manipulations in …

1 in 5 Trauma-Exposed Children Met PTSD Criteria in 2025 Meta-Analysis

May 15, 2026May 5, 2026 by BrainASAP

How Often Trauma-Exposed Kids Develop PTSD Now TL;DR: An updated meta-analysis of 95 studies found that about 1 in 5 trauma-exposed children met DSM-IV PTSD criteria and about 1 in 8 met DSM-5 criteria, with the highest rates in girls and in youth exposed to interpersonal trauma. Key Findings 95 studies over 30 years: The …

Childhood Trauma Increased Randomness in Teen Depression Brain Networks

May 15, 2026May 3, 2026 by BrainASAP

Childhood Trauma Made Teen Depression Networks More Random TL;DR: In 343 adolescents with major depression, childhood trauma was linked to less efficient brain-network organization, partial normalization after treatment, and an fMRI-based model that predicted antidepressant response with 82% balanced accuracy. Key Findings 343 depressed adolescents scanned: The study analyzed resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) in adolescents …

Psychological Trauma & Adversity May Accelerate Biological Aging (2024 Analysis)

July 15, 2024 by BrainASAP

Adversity accelerates biological aging through health-compromising behaviors like smoking and possibly social disconnection, and future research needs to focus on causal methodologies to better understand these processes and develop effective interventions. Highlights: Mechanisms of Accelerated Aging: Recent studies suggest that adversity accelerates biological aging, with health-compromising behaviors, especially smoking, playing a significant role in this …

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) for Car Accident PTSD: A Promising Intervention

October 9, 2023 by BrainASAP

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a traumatic event like a car accident can be extremely debilitating. New research suggests that virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) may be an effective treatment option. Key Facts VRET is a form of exposure therapy that uses virtual reality to simulate the traumatic experience in a controlled setting. Two case …

MDMA Assisted Therapy for Alcohol Abuse & PTSD

October 2, 2023 by BrainASAP

A new study provides preliminary evidence that MDMA-assisted therapy may help reduce alcohol use in people with severe PTSD. Key facts: MDMA-assisted therapy was tested in a phase 3 clinical trial for treating severe PTSD. Participants were allowed to have mild alcohol or cannabis use disorder. Compared to placebo therapy, MDMA therapy led to greater …