#770: Brain Research Into PTSD Memories

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People suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have a difficult time letting go of painful memories.

Also, they become fearful in otherwise non-threatening situations.

Dr. Maria Morena is a post-doctoral fellow from Italy now working at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary.

Dr. Morena is researching fear memory and how this is both created and extinguished.

So she is focusing on  the chemical pathways or communication between the amygdala and the pre-frontal cortex in the brain.

DR MARIA MORENA:  PTSD patients have hypo activiation of the pre-frontal cortex and, hyper activiation of the amygdala.  So the amygdala assigns the emotional importance to an event.  Usually its a fear response.  And often this fear response happens following safe events. And the pre-frontal cortex usually constrains the activity of the amygdala.  But in PTSD patients,  it doesn’t control the activation of the amygdala,

Dr Morena will also look at what’s called the brain endocannabinoid system to see what role this plays in PTSD

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

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Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

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Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

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Program Date: 2016-04-05