European Journal of Psychotraumatology
October 23, 2020
R. Lanius, Braeden A. Terpou, M. Mckinnon
158 citations
Trauma can disrupt the sense of self, as reported by individuals with PTSD who describe feeling disconnected from themselves or emotionally numb. These self-related experiences are linked to the default mode network (DMN), a brain network active during rest and self-referential thought. In people with PTSD, the DMN shows reduced resting-state functional connectivity compared to healthy individuals, with greater reductions tied to more severe PTSD symptoms. Trauma may become intertwined with the sense of self through alterations in the DMN. Understanding these changes during rest and in response to trauma-related cues may inform therapies that address past and present experiences in PTSD treatment.
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
January 1, 2021
L. Basedow, Sören Kuitunen-Paul, M. Wiedmann et al.
15 citations
Adolescents with both a substance use disorder and probable post-traumatic stress disorder report more frequent use of MDMA (ecstasy) than those without PTSD, and they start using substances at a younger age. PTSD symptoms, especially avoidance, appear before first MDMA use, which begins on average 2.2 years after PTSD onset. The association between MDMA use and avoidance symptoms may reflect an attempt to reduce those symptoms or a consequence of regular MDMA use.
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
January 1, 2018
Harald Bækkelund, P. Frewen, R. Lanius et al.
The four-dimensional (4-D) model proposes that trauma-related dissociation involves altered states of consciousness (TRASC) and normal waking consciousness (NWC) across time, thought, body, and emotion. In 142 patients with PTSD, 46 of whom also had a dissociative disorder, TRASC experiences were less frequent and more specifically linked to other dissociation measures, dissociative disorder comorbidity, and childhood sexual abuse than NWC experiences. However, the prediction that TRASC items would show lower intercorrelation was not supported. The model offers a promising way to understand dissociation in trauma-related disorders.
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
August 18, 2014
P. Frewen, N. Kleindienst, R. Lanius et al.
People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) who also have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report dissociative trauma-related altered states of consciousness (TRASC) less often than normal waking consciousness (NWC) symptoms. TRASC are more strongly linked to dissociative experiences and childhood emotional neglect than NWC symptoms are, especially in those with both BPD and PTSD. The prediction that TRASC symptoms would be less intercorrelated than NWC symptoms was not supported. The 4-D model categorizes trauma symptoms across time, thought, body, and emotion, each possibly experienced as normal or dissociative.