PTSD May Affect Boys and Girls Differently

Researchers have discovered that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects the brains of girls and boys in different ways. Using MRI scans, researchers examined the brains of 59 children and found that among those with PTSD, girls and boys showed differences in a part of the brain involved in the experience of emotion and empathy. Compared with healthy controls, the research team observed this area of the brain appeared larger in boys with PTSD but was smaller in girls with the condition. Senior author Dr. Victor Carrion writes, “The difference we saw between the brains of boys and girls who have experienced psychological trauma is important because it may help explain differences in trauma symptoms between sexes.” Depression and Anxiety, November 2016