A new study from Virginia Tech has uncovered distinct brain changes linked to witnessing trauma, providing fresh insights into how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in people who observe traumatic events rather than directly experience them.
This research, published in PLOS ONE, could lead to more targeted treatments for PTSD by recognising the molecular differences between those who experience trauma firsthand and those who witness it.
The research, led by Timothy Jarome, an associate professor of neurobiology, found that witnessing trauma triggers unique changes in the brain, particularly in regions involved in fear memory, such as the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, and retrosplenial cortex. Unlike direct trauma, witnessing trauma leads to specific protein degradation patterns in these brain regions.
Jarome’s team, including lead author Shaghayegh Navabpour, also discovered that these brain responses differ between males and females.
Women, in particular, showed distinct biological reactions to witnessed trauma, which could help explain why they are twice as likely to develop PTSD compared to men.
The study suggests that these differences may require different treatment approaches for each sex.
The research was motivated by Jarome’s interest in the PTSD symptoms observed in people who witnessed the tragic collapse of a Miami condominium in 2021.
Victims, such as those who saw the event from a distance, reported PTSD-like symptoms despite not being directly involved in the disaster.