The article includes an interesting hypothesis about the mechanism of PTSD. It may be more common in people whose brains have difficulty exerting inhibitory control over the hippocampus (the brain site for memory including traumatic memories). It compares this with other neuroscientific findings - people who struggle with addiction have less inhibitory control over the striatum (a brain region linked to impulsivity and compulsions); in depression, there is reduced inhibitory control over the amygdala (the brain's emotion processing center). Consequently, a proposal might be to change PTSD treatment. Instead of using images of the trauma to create desensitization (exposure therapy), consider using neutral images to teach people how to suppress memories instead.
Accessed at https://www.the-scientist.com/notebook/study-probes-brain-activity-in-survivors-of-paris-terror-attacks-67472 .
Accessed at https://www.the-scientist.com/notebook/study-probes-brain-activity-in-survivors-of-paris-terror-attacks-67472 .