Objectives

  • Examine the effects of traumatic stress
  • Learn about normal brain development across the lifespan
  • Explore the neurobiology of PTSD
  • Highlight the changes in cognition and brain structure associated with PTSD
  • Identify crucial components to effective PTSD treatment
  • Examine the effects of pharmacotherapy on brain function
  • Learn about the function hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the stress response systems, and abnormalities in the HPA axis in persons with PTSD
  • Identify specific neurochemicals implicated in the development of PTSD including chatecholamines, serotonin, amino acids (specifically GABA) and peptides.