Surviving a chaotic upbringing, living through a natural disaster, experiencing verbal abuse—it's common knowledge that these types of trauma can cause lasting emotional scars. But did you know that they may also affect the physical functioning of your brain? And that these brain changes can increase your risk for anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, sleep problems, and more?  

At Amen Clinics, we have conducted several brain SPECT imaging studies on trauma survivors to analyze their brain function. SPECT is a brain-imaging technology that measures blood flow and activity in the brain and shows three things: areas of the brain with healthy activity, areas with too little activity, and areas with too much activity.

In a 2015 Amen Clinics study published in Plos One1, SPECT scans of people who had experienced various forms of trauma showed abnormal activity in several brain regions. In particular, the scans revealed significant increases in activity in the following areas: 

Overactivity in this brain region is associated with increased anxiousness, tension, fear, and awareness.

This almond-shaped structure in the temporal lobes is involved in emotional and fear responses. Excessive activity in the amygdala can generate angst and anxiety.

When there is heightened activity in the ACG, people tend to get stuck on distressing thoughts and worries. It can also make people rigid thinkers with a tendency to be argumentative and to hold grudges.

Excessive activity here is associated with increased sensory awareness, which can make you feel overwhelmed by everyday sights and sounds. It has also been noted in people with chronic pain.

Too much activity here is associated with misreading cues from other people, meaning you may think someone is angry when they are simply tired, or you may think someone is threatening when they are merely excited. 

On SPECT scans, overactivity in these areas creates a pattern that resembles a diamond. Here are two brain SPECT scans from Amen Clinics. One shows a healthy brain, the other shows the diamond pattern of overactivity often seen in trauma survivors. 

The good news is the brain can heal following emotional trauma. Several therapies can help calm an overactive brain including the following:

While it's important to understand that trauma can affect how your brain functions, it's also essential to know there are things you can do to calm overactivity. For more ways to support your brain, check out the five things I suggest doing every day for better brain health.