Nearly 7 in 10 kids exposed to trauma by age 16

By Anne Harding Wed May 9, 3:23 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While exposure to traumatic events among children and teens is "almost commonplace," only a small fraction of young people will go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after such exposure, a new study shows

But the findings shouldn't be interpreted to mean that kids don't suffer after a trauma, Dr. William E. Copeland of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health. While children exposed to a single traumatic event did seem to fare well, those exposed to two or more such events were at higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress symptoms, as well as psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.

For the full article, refer to the below link
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070509/hl_nm/kids_trauma_dc;_ylt=At.3_d481IYCZ5zBN39LN9fVJRIF

Fri Jul 13, 5:32 AM ET

CHICAGO (AFP) - US researchers have identified the parts of the brain that are involved with suppressing unpleasant memories, a finding that could have implications for treating depression or post traumatic stress disorder, according to a study released Thursday.
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The concept of memory suppression has been a controversial one among psychologists for a century, but in this study neuroscientists used brain scans to show that volunteers who have been asked to banish disturbing memories show very specific patterns of brain activity.

The scans showed that two specific regions of the prefrontal cortex -- what neuroscientists call the seat of cognitive control -- appear to work in tandem to modulate posterior brain regions like the visual cortex, the hippocampus and amygdala. These areas are involved in tasks such as visual recall, memory encoding and retrieval and emotional expression.

"These results indicate memory suppression does occur, and, at least in nonpsychiatric populations, is under the control of the prefrontal cortex," the investigators reported in the journal Science.

For the purpose of the experiment, the 16 volunteers were given 40 pairs of photographs to study. In each case, an image of a neutral human face was paired with an emotionally disturbing image such as a car crash, a wounded soldier, an electric chair or a violent crime scene.

After memorizing each pair, the volunteers were placed in an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner. Once inside the machine, they were shown only the neutral face images and instructed to either actively recall the associated image or to actively suppress it.

The results of the scans or fMRIs (functional magnetic resonance imaging) indicated that the volunteers were able to "exert some control over their emotional memories," said Brendan Depue, a doctoral student in neuroscience at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and lead author of the study.

"By essentially shutting down specific portions of the brain, they were able to stop the retrieval process of particular memories," Depue said.

The authors of the paper said they hope that their work will promote further research into better therapies and possibly even drug treatments for people suffering from conditions such as PTSD, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive syndrome. The symptoms of these disorders include flashbacks to disturbing events, and intrusive or obsessive thoughts.

"The first step is to understand how memory suppression works in healthy individuals, and what neural mechanisms are at work," said Depue. "Then you need to look at those same mechanisms in a clinical population and figure out why they aren't functioning properly."

News taken from
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070713/hl_afp/ushealthmemory;_ylt=AgqyptOr9CU6OW25kBhP1InVJRIF

Traumatic experience? Here's help; Pilot programme to prevent post-traumatic stress at two hospitals
Sheralyn Taysheralyn@mediacorp.com.sg
10 October 2007
English
(c) 2007. MediaCorp Press Ltd.

AFTER a masked man held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her during a robbery in a car park, Ms Anna Foo (not her real name) lived in fear for six months.

The homemaker, who is in her 50s, avoided car parks, strangers and going out alone. Ms Foo's initial response to the robbery is common in victims of traumatic events - such as experiencing or witnessing an accident, assault, threat of death or physical harm.

The condition, known as short-term stress disorders, affects 14 to 16 per cent of those who have been physically injured in a road accident and 12 per cent of industrial accident and burn victims, said Dr Angelina Chan, consultant psychiatrist at Changi General Hospital (CGH).

These symptoms usually resolve themselves after about three months (see box). But for some people, like Ms Foo, it develops into a chronic condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and must be treated.

But Ms Foo received no treatment at all. "I wasn't injured, so I didn't see a doctor," she said, speaking ahead of World Mental Health Day, which is today.

Luckily for her, she overcame her fears over time, although she still feels uneasy about dark car parks.

According to Dr Lee Cheng, consultant psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health, "left untreated, severe PTSD can develop and interfere with normal functioning and cause significant impairment to normal life".

Other conditions, such as anxiety, depression and phobias can also develop.

And while the treatment for physical trauma is well-established here, doctors note that the management of PTSD is usually reactive and therapeutic rather than preventive.

But a pilot screening programme, currently in place at CGH and KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), seeks to address this gap.

Under the programme, which was launched in July, hospital-based integrated mental health teams - involving psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists and medical social workers - were set up to complement existing trauma response systems.

At CGH, the programme will evaluate all trauma patients admitted to the hospital for psychological distress within the first few days to a week of their admission.

"In addition, for a period of time, they will be followed at regular intervals to see how they are doing," said Dr Chan.

Similarly, frontline screening at KKH will be done for children who are injured in accidents. While there is no data for Asia, overseas studies show that between 9 and 45 per cent of children develop PTSD after experiencing injury.

And accidents are not the only experiences that may require psychological support.

According to Dr Chan, research has shown that even medical conditions - such as a heart attack or cancer, or undergoing surgery for such an illness - is associated with a high rate of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders.

But because these mental disorders are potentially preventable and treatable, it underscores the critical need for early diagnosis.

"Undiagnosed PTSD sufferers incur significantly greater economic cost à and utilise significantly more voluntary services à (but) early identification and intervention would lead to improved clinical outcomes and quality of life, and help to reduce overall healthcare costs," said Dr Chan.

World Mental Health Day is aimed at raising public awareness about mental health issues. This year's theme is "Mental health in a changing world: The impact of culture and diversity".

Common responses to traumatic events

- Nightmares
- Flashbacks
- Fear and anxiety when near the place the trauma occurred
- Irritability
- Lack of focus
- Jumpiness

These are quite 'normal reactions' in the initial days following a traumatic event, said Dr Lee. But if the symptoms persist and grow in intensity and cause disruptions to your everyday life, it's time to seek help.

CGH Psychotraumatology Service