A study published in the JNeurosci suggested that individuals with greater defensive reactions to threatening events may have a harder time predicting whether an event is dangerous or safe. They are also more likely to experience severe forms of PTSD, which include symptoms such as always being on guard for danger, self-destructive behavior like drinking too much or driving too fast, trouble sleeping and concentrating, irritability, angry outbursts, and nightmares. Dr. Vishnu Murty, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Psychology and Neuroscience at Temple University, stated that the findings of the study are crucial to identifying specific brain responses associated with vulnerability to developing PTSD. He added that the study can also help in identifying potential treatments focused on memory processes for these individuals to prevent or treat PTSD.

The research was a part of the National Advancing Understanding of Recovery after TraumA (AURORA) Study, a multi-institution project funded by the National Institutes of Health, non-profit funding organizations such as One Mind, and partnerships with leading tech companies. In the study, Dr. Murty and his colleagues characterized the brain and behavioral responses of individuals who had experienced a traumatic event in the previous two weeks. 

Using brain-imaging techniques coupled with laboratory and survey-based tests for trauma, researchers found that the individuals with less activity in their hippocampus and the greatest defensive responses to startling events following trauma had the most severe symptoms. Dr. Busra Tanriverdi, the Lead Researcher at Temple University, stated that the findings highlight the link between PTSD and how people form and retrieve memories after trauma. She added that the findings of the study add to a list of AURORA discoveries that will help the research team to understand the differences between individuals who will go on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder and those who will not.

(Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestycharacterizedticular-brain-rbehavioral-traumatic-stress-are-associated-with-ptsd-risk-101659074328636.html )