Main objective
The objective with this study is to examine the relationship between neurobiological changes after a traumatic event and development of posttraumatic reactions. This study has a prospective design and will follow the participants, who have experienced a traffic accident, for six months after the incident. The study will combine a battery of international standardized and validated measuring instruments with diagnostic radiology (MRI and functional MRI). The participants will be tested on three different occasions.
Method
Participants
We will recruit 50 participants who have been in a car accident, and 50 non-traumatized participants as controls.
Further information
If one could reveal underlying neurobiological changes in PTSD, this can be a starting point for future development of methods in detecting an individual’s susceptibility to developing chronic PTSD after a traumatic event. Better insight into these underlying mechanisms can contribute to a better understanding of why some develop chronic PTSD symptoms, while others, who have been subjected to a comparable traumatic event, do not develop symptoms.