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Brain structure change in Holocaust survivors hereditary, study finds
[Medium] According to research presented at the 5th European Academy of Neurology Congress in Oslo on Sunday, the horrific ordeals of the death camps left a mark on the survivors’ brain structure, specifically in the form of grey matter reduction affecting the parts of their brain responsible for stress response, memory, motivation, emotion, learning, and behavior.The study, called “Life-long effects of extreme stress on brain structures — a Holocaust survivor MRI study,” compared the brain function of 28 Holocaust survivors with the brain function of 28 people whose family had not been involved in the Holocaust utilizing MRI scanning. As explained in a statement by the European Academy of Neurology, survivors showed a significantly decreased volume of grey matter in the brain compared with controls of a similar age who had not been directly exposed via personal or family history to the Holocaust. The average age of the participants in the study was between 79 and 80. The scientists also detected a similar reduction of grey matter in areas of the brain associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans and those suffering early-life stress experience. However, compared to those suffering from other forms of PTSD, survivors presented a higher level of stress but also higher levels of post-traumatic growth, calling themselves generally satisfied with their life after the war. “We revealed substantial differences in the brain structures involved in the processing of emotion, memory and social cognition, in a higher level of stress but also of post-traumatic growth between Holocaust survivors and controls. Early results show this is also the case in children of survivors too,” he added. The study is not the first that identifies epigenetic changes in the children of those who experienced severe trauma. Posted by: Skidmark 2019-10-05 |
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