Neurobiology of Trauma

Why don't people run away or scream when they are being assaulted? Why are their memories often unclear, distorted and confusing? The brain under attack is run by the defense and the fear circuitries, with reflexes and habits being referenced as survival tactics. Are these circuits activated when one is sexually assaulted, physically assaulted or even in a military combat? Around the world, across cultures, evolution has sculpted our brains over eons, to respond to all life-threatening situations by activating the same circuitries, long before we were sophisticated enough to embody cultural expectations. These self-paced modules can explain how stress and trauma can alter brain functioning during sexual assaults and other traumatic experiences. They delve into the impairment of the prefrontal cortex, the activation of the defense circuit and the display of reflexes and habits harbored by us for centuries. They provide you with a gist on the victims' brain-behavior interactions and exhibitions, thus observed. This course educates us on trauma-informed practices one must employ when interacting with people who have been assaulted. Learning outcomes: (1) The ability to define key brain circuitries impacted by severe stress in the midst of traumatic experiences (2) To explain brain-based cognitive and behavioral responses to sexual and other assault