Contents:
- Medical Video: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime | Nadine Burke Harris
- Psychological trauma makes children experience changes in brain shape
- PTSD syndrome also changes cognitive, emotional, and concentration functions
- Girls are more at risk of premature aging due to PTSD syndrome
- Need different ways to handle PTSD in girls and boys
Medical Video: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime | Nadine Burke Harris
Bad experiences experienced by a person can affect his mental health. Conditions in which a person still feels very anxious, always has nightmares, and feels depressed about events or bad experiences that have been called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In general, PTSD syndrome is a mental health disorder caused by a bad experience experienced by someone.
If a person's PTSD syndrome is not handled properly, he has the opportunity to experience dietary deviations which then lead to health problems, depression and excessive anxiety, the risk of using drugs and the habit of consuming alcohol, and the chance to do so. crime. Then what if PTSD syndrome occurs in a child?
A recent study found that very bad experiences can cause different brain changes between boys and girls who have PTSD syndrome.
Psychological trauma makes children experience changes in brain shape
Research conducted by researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine involved as many as 59 respondents aged 9-17 years. 30 of the total respondents - 14 girls and 16 boys - had experienced bad and traumatic experiences. While 29 others, consisting of 15 girls and 14 boys, never experienced a very bad experience. Then in this study, 30 girls and boys were asked to do several examinations aimed at seeing brain abilities and functions.
Then, at the end of the study it was found that there was no difference in the value of intellectual abilities between children who experienced bad experiences and those who did not. But in the results of these studies also showed that there were differences in the structure and shape of the brain between children who had experienced a bad experience with children who did not experience it.
Meanwhile, the part of the brain that distinguishes these two groups is called insula. The volume and density of insula in boys who experience bad experiences is greater than boys who do not have bad experiences. Conversely, girls who have experienced traumatic experiences actually have smaller volumes and insula densities than girls who do not experience them.
PTSD syndrome also changes cognitive, emotional, and concentration functions
Insula is a part of the brain that plays an important role in regulating various bodily functions. Insula function, namely:
- Become a liaison and receiver of signals from the intestine, heart, and other body parts.
- Regulate body movements.
- Regulates emotions and is responsible for feelings that arise in someone.
- Acting in making decisions.
- Regulates overall cognitive function and concentration.
Changes that occur in the form of the insula will cause disruption of the insula function. Thus, children who experience PTSD syndrome who experience changes in volume and density of insula, tend to experience emotional disturbances and cognitive abilities.
Girls are more at risk of premature aging due to PTSD syndrome
Under normal circumstances, with increasing age the volume and density of the insula will decrease naturally. This is of course the opposite of what happens to girls who have bad experiences. In this group, they experienced a decrease in volume and density of brain insula when compared to insula girls who did not have bad experiences. The researchers concluded that girls tended to have an opportunity to experience aging at an earlier age compared to boys.
This research is supported by other studies that state that stress experienced by girls makes them experience early puberty. In addition, from this study it was also concluded that girls who had traumatic experiences tended to be more likely to experience PTSD Syndrome than boys. But the reason for this statement appears is still uncertain.
Need different ways to handle PTSD in girls and boys
The results of this study can be useful and useful in dealing with teenagers who are experiencing pressure due to the bad experiences they have. Of course there will be differences in symptoms and signs that arise between boys and girls who are depressed. By knowing this, the medical team is expected to be able to take different treatments and approaches to girls and boys.
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