Temporal dynamics of trauma memory persistence

Traumatic events lead to distressing memories, but such memories are made all the worse when they intrude to mind unbidden and recurrently. Intrusive memories and flashbacks after trauma are prominent in several mental disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder and can persist for years. Cr...

Ամբողջական նկարագրություն

Մատենագիտական մանրամասներ
Հիմնական հեղինակներ: Bonsall, MB, Holmes, EA
Ձևաչափ: Journal article
Լեզու:English
Հրապարակվել է: Royal Society 2023
_version_ 1826311302985809920
author Bonsall, MB
Holmes, EA
author_facet Bonsall, MB
Holmes, EA
author_sort Bonsall, MB
collection OXFORD
description Traumatic events lead to distressing memories, but such memories are made all the worse when they intrude to mind unbidden and recurrently. Intrusive memories and flashbacks after trauma are prominent in several mental disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder and can persist for years. Critically, the reduction of intrusive memories provides a treatment target. While cognitive and descriptive models for psychological trauma exist, these lack formal quantitative structure and robust empirical validation. Here, using techniques from stochastic process theory, we develop a mechanistically driven, quantitative framework to extend understanding of the temporal dynamic processes of trauma memory. Our approach is to develop a probabilistic description of memory mechanisms to link to the broader goals of trauma treatment. We show how the marginal gains of treatments for intrusive memories can be enhanced as key properties (intervention strength and reminder strength) of the intervention and memory consolidation (probability memories are labile) vary. Parametrizing the framework with empirical data highlights that while emerging interventions to reduce occurrence of intrusive memories can be effective, counterintuitively, weakening multiple reactivation cues may help reduce intrusive memories more than would stronger cues. More broadly, the approach provides a quantitative framework for associating neural mechanisms of memory with broader cognitive processes.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T08:07:52Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:3d0181ad-f9e2-469d-878a-43816f42f9d2
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T08:07:52Z
publishDate 2023
publisher Royal Society
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:3d0181ad-f9e2-469d-878a-43816f42f9d22023-11-10T09:05:18ZTemporal dynamics of trauma memory persistenceJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:3d0181ad-f9e2-469d-878a-43816f42f9d2EnglishSymplectic ElementsRoyal Society2023Bonsall, MBHolmes, EATraumatic events lead to distressing memories, but such memories are made all the worse when they intrude to mind unbidden and recurrently. Intrusive memories and flashbacks after trauma are prominent in several mental disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder and can persist for years. Critically, the reduction of intrusive memories provides a treatment target. While cognitive and descriptive models for psychological trauma exist, these lack formal quantitative structure and robust empirical validation. Here, using techniques from stochastic process theory, we develop a mechanistically driven, quantitative framework to extend understanding of the temporal dynamic processes of trauma memory. Our approach is to develop a probabilistic description of memory mechanisms to link to the broader goals of trauma treatment. We show how the marginal gains of treatments for intrusive memories can be enhanced as key properties (intervention strength and reminder strength) of the intervention and memory consolidation (probability memories are labile) vary. Parametrizing the framework with empirical data highlights that while emerging interventions to reduce occurrence of intrusive memories can be effective, counterintuitively, weakening multiple reactivation cues may help reduce intrusive memories more than would stronger cues. More broadly, the approach provides a quantitative framework for associating neural mechanisms of memory with broader cognitive processes.
spellingShingle Bonsall, MB
Holmes, EA
Temporal dynamics of trauma memory persistence
title Temporal dynamics of trauma memory persistence
title_full Temporal dynamics of trauma memory persistence
title_fullStr Temporal dynamics of trauma memory persistence
title_full_unstemmed Temporal dynamics of trauma memory persistence
title_short Temporal dynamics of trauma memory persistence
title_sort temporal dynamics of trauma memory persistence
work_keys_str_mv AT bonsallmb temporaldynamicsoftraumamemorypersistence
AT holmesea temporaldynamicsoftraumamemorypersistence