Brain Scans Reveal Possible Vulnerability to PTSD

http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/3199-brain-changes-ptsd-japan-earthquake.html

Researchers in Japan discovered that people with weak connections in certain parts of their brains may be more vulnerable to PTSD after a traumatic event. Previous research had found differences between the brains of people with PTSD and those of people without the condition. However, it is uncertain as to whether different brain features cause vulnerability to PTSD or are a result of the condition itself. The study followed 30 Japanese adolescents who experienced the devastating 2011 earthquake. Researchers compared the adolescents' brain scans form before the earthquake (they got the scans from earlier studies) to brain scans after the earthquake, and gave the adolescents a questionnaire to gauge their anxiety levels after the earthquake. 

The comparison of brain scans showed changes in the brain's white matter, tissue that facilitates communication of different areas of the brain. Adolescents with small amounts of white matter in the front, left region of the frontal lobe before the earthquake hit were more likely to have high anxiety levels after the earthquake. Also, adolescents with large amounts of white matter in the front, left area of the frontal lobe found after the earthquake were more likely to have high anxiety levels, too. These brain areas are involved with processing fear and anxiety, so any extra or lack of communication in those areas could cause decreased emotional regulation.