Trauma and Remembering: From Neuronal Circuits to Molecules
Life – October 26, 2022
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
A compelling finding in Psychology and Neuroscience suggests psychedelics could transform posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), characterized by vivid traumatic memories and heightened arousal. The core idea is to modify unstable memory engrams during retrieval. Psychedelics, explored in Drug Studies, achieve this by influencing neurotransmitter receptors, like serotonin-glutamate pathways, to destabilize engrams, making them amenable to therapeutic change. This profound neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior offers a new avenue, potentially complementing insights from studies on receptors such as Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors, in reshaping deeply ingrained traumatic responses.
Abstract
Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience intrusions of vivid traumatic memories, heightened arousal, and display avoidance behavior. Disorders in identity, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationships are also common. The cornerstone of PTSD is altered learning, memory, and remembering, regulated by a complex neuronal and molecular network. We propose that the essential feature of successful treatment is the modification of engrams in their unstable state during retrieval. During psychedelic psychotherapy, engrams may show a pronounced instability, which enhances modification. In this narrative review, we outline the clinical characteristics of PTSD, its multifaceted neuroanatomy, and the molecular pathways that regulate memory destabilization and reconsolidation. We propose that psychedelics, acting by serotonin-glutamate interactions, destabilize trauma-related engrams and open the door to change them during psychotherapy.