PTSD, Psychological Trauma and Head Injuries

Neuroscientist Morten Kringelbach discusses radical new brain imaging technology, and army doctor Alexander Wieck Fjaeldstad describes how smells trigger memories to reveal what is going on inside the brains of people affected by psychological trauma, head injury and PTSD.

Morten Kringelbach's research goal is to reverse-engineer the human brain and in particular to elucidate the heuristics that allow us to survive and thrive. His focus is on elucidating hedonia (pleasure) and eudaimonia (the life well-lived), and how they are affected in health and disease; in particular, seeking to elucidate their breakdown in anhedonia (the lack of pleasure) in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Alexander Wieck Fjaeldstad is an MD-PhD who served as a Captain in the Danish army. After deployment in Iraq, he became aware of how certain smells can be potent triggers of memories from the battlefield. This link provides a unique window for examining how the brain processes these memories in veterans with and without PTSD. His research focuses on understanding olfaction in the brain and how this can be used clinically.

---
A very special thank you to our Patreon supporters who help make these videos happen, especially:
Alessandro Mecca, Ashok Bommisetti, Avrahaim Chein, bestape, Elizabeth Greasley, Greg Nagel, Lester Su, Manish Upmanyu, Rebecca Pan, Robert D Finrock and Will Knott.
---

[lisatwitchell]

After two tours in Vietnam, I have had acute PTSD and now I have fairly well controlled chronic PTSD. After 50 years, I still worry about having another attack of severe depression. It has been almost 3 years since my last attack and that is the longest I've gone without a severe attack of depression since I left Vietnam. For those who think that such a long lasting problem with PTSD and the symptoms of severe depression that might disability should be obvious to those around me, I must report that that is often not the case. I have been able to work, raise a family, work my way through college, and obtain a Ph.D.. A great many of the people around me have never been aware of my PTSD symptoms or my severe episodes with depression. Of course, those close to me are not only aware of my problems but have suffered through them with me.

[jacklynyeh]

you know a channel attracts the right kind of people when there aren't any comments before the video timer is up

[kristine]

I had a TBI when I was 16 and now have PTSD, I am on disability and struggle each day. I appreciate you’re video and helping others by talking about the affects of daily life.

[sebastianelytron]

Do these guys know how to make a boring lecture? Every video of theirs is gold.

[danashannon]

PTSD is no joke. Extrenemy challenging beyond words.

[narcisisticbudoka]

Excellent speaker. He assumes the audiences ability to comprehend and doesn't waste time with unnecessary technical minutiae.

[donharrington]

I'm always on guard to the slightest of details because of how bad people have messed with me in the past I don't want to be on guard but I feel the constant need to protect myself from harmful people

[hawzhinblanca]

this was a very useful topic and truly honest, thank you, thanks Morten Kringelbach

[donharrington]

The effects are ongoing and persistent people seem to amplify my discomfort intentually

[bengun]

I wrote down the most extreme experiences I personally had to deal with
and how I went through it, the older I get
the more I work on how to handle this on my own ( expecting self-efficacy ).
So far I counted 9 extremely unpleasant emotional situations, - my conclusion is:
The more you take your optimism for granted the easier you get yourself out of the slumb.

[donharrington]

I was leggally disabled and no one helped except one person who got me away from that horrible city and what they did to me in the 27 years I was stuck there

[PartVIII]

Can PTSD work in reverse? i.e. Can someone be sent to a place where they're exposed to unavoidably enjoyable experiences, then come back a different person?

[donharrington]

I've spent 29 years with hourly triggers to my ptsd im always on edge always discomfortable

[thegrandlevel]

22:48 oh… I get it now.

I don’t know how to say, what to ask, who to ask, what I need to do and why im treated like a criminal for struggling to navigate and articulate this, but the mechanics of how I got here now make sense.

[simonjessop]

I was involved in a hit n run accident and still healing myself from ptsd and smashing my hip, ribs and I see the car hit me, this was 5 months ago, I've had no help, only told I've got ptsd or concussion after the scan 2 months after the accident. During these hard times of viruses, I'm training my brain myself, I'm trying, but it's real hard, feels like I'm not important not wanted, but my mind in so open to everything, , I don't know what to do, my emotions are still everywhere x x

[donharrington]

I've been attacked enough times to where I'm consciously aware of anyone in a 15 foot radious I'm constantly on edge and even my anxiety meds don't fully help my discomfort

[donharrington]

It took them 28 years to correctly prescribe and medicate me for my sever ptsd and daily trauma

[kokomanation]

I don’t want to talk about my problems the feelings of tremendous anxiety depression and anger that I feel because in the country I live there is a huge stigma on this i would be an outcast of society .I find it inhumane that in some regions there is no empathy for people suffering

[donharrington]

It's a miracle I survived long enough to escape that town

[montanagal]

I have PTSD from "Operation C" hospital RN...felt like an attack, not allowed to speak, bad things were covered up....