Poster #30 - Can a Traumatized Brain be Healed from Abuse and Neglect?

• In Event: ASC Poster Session II

Abstract

There is a plethora of research that reveals what trauma can do to disrupt brain development. But can a traumatized brain be healed? This study uses a content analysis approach to attempting to determine if traumatized brains from abuse and neglect can heal. Preliminary results indicate that, yes, a traumatized brain can be healed, but with extensive work on the part of the individual through mindfulness meditation, exercise, and/or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. For example, in 2011, a research team at Harvard found that mindfulness meditation can actually change the structure of the brain: Eight weeks of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was found to increase cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory, and in certain areas of the brain that play roles in emotion regulation and self-referential processing (Hölzel, Carmody, Vangel, Congleton, Yerramsetti, Garda, & Lazar, 2011). Ultimately, the initial results look promising. However, access to these resources complicates the healing process.

Author

• Natalie Johnson, Dalton State College